Why Your Local AFL Club Should Hold Their Own Pride Cup

A new campaign is encouraging sports clubs across the country to host their own Pride Cup to promote LGBTIQ inclusion, ahead of the third AFL Pride Game this weekend.

The Pride Cup initiative sees footy teams don rainbow colours to celebrate inclusion and diversity in sport and send a message to LGBTIQ players and fans that they’re welcome and accepted.

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Victorian footballer and Pride Cup co-founder Jason Ball organised the first one between country teams Yarra Glen and Yarra Junction in 2014, and that match inspired 2016’s national AFL Pride Game which has become an annual fixture.

“Six years ago, I first shared my story of what it was like to be a gay Aussie rules footballer, what it was like to be in the closet, and what it was like to hear homophobic and transphobic slurs on the field,” Ball said at the launch of the campaign on Wednesday.

“At the time I made the point that athletes shouldn’t have to choose between being themselves and playing the game they love.

“Six years ago I could never have imagined I would be standing before you today with rainbow flags at AFL house, backed by VicHealth and AFL Victoria with players in rainbow jumpers from Gippsland, Geelong, Hamilton, Shepparton, Sandringham, from men’s footy to women’s footy, from community football all the way to AFL.”

Today we are proud to launch our #WEAREPRIDECUP campaign, calling on community sporting clubs from all around Australia to sign up to host a Pride Cup in 2019.

VicHealth CEO Jerril Rechter said a survey of more than 3,700 fans found that nearly three out of five participants had experienced or witnessed homophobia or transphobia at an AFL game.

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“We know that inclusion is fundamental to good health and wellbeing for everyone and that a sense of exclusion – from sport or society generally – has contributed to LGBTIQ+ people having some of the poorest mental health outcomes in Australia,” she said.

“That’s why we’re partnering with Pride Cup Australia to take the pride game message beyond the AFL and into grassroots and community sport.”

The campaign’s #WeArePrideCup video will premiere on the big screen at Etihad Stadium this Saturday (June 9) during the Pride Game.

St Kilda Football Club CEO Matt Finnis and Sydney Football Club CEO Andrew Ireland both supported the launch of the new campaign.